Last night I had the pleasure of hosting a group of young people, all displaced from Haiti following last year’s devastating earthquake, who are now students and parishioners from Saints Joachim and Anne parish in Queens Village. The students were taking part in Hope Week, a marvelous program sponsored by the New York Yankees. The students, and their parents or guardians, were joined by a wonderful young priest from their parish, Father Jean M. Delva, and six members of the Yankees, players C.C. Sabathia, Jorge Posada, Derek Jeter, and Freddie Garcia, and coaches Tony Pena and Mike…

Written 17 years ago by one of my predecessors, John Cardinal O’Connor, this column reminded us then what we must remember now — Haiti needs our help and prayers. As the Cardinal said, Pierre Toussaint (now declared “Venerable” — another step on the road to possible beatification and canonization) is the “perfect mediator” for “those looking for peace in Haiti.”

In the Cathedral Crypt, A Prayer for Haiti

John Cardinal O’Connor, Catholic New York

October 21, 1993

It’s time to take Pierre Toussaint seriously. The situation in Haiti is a mess. The relationship between…

As you may know, in addition to serving as Archbishop of New York, I am also the Chairman of the Board of Catholic Relief Services. In that role, I joined last week with the Chairman of the USCCB Subcommittee on Latin America, Archbishop Jose Gomez of San Antonio, in updating our brother bishops on the on-going situation in Haiti. I thought you might also be interested in knowing where things stand, and the plans for the future. Our letter is attached.

The stories and images of the tragic events in Haiti continue to move us, as we learn of the devastation of the earthquake, the loss of life, the huge number of people who are hurt, hungry, and homeless. Thank God, there has been a tremendous response from all over the world, particularly here in the United States, as people step forward to help in whatever way that they can. Catholic Relief Services, the Red Cross, and so many other aid agencies are already hard at work in Haiti, and they will need our ongoing support as they begin the…

I have been in Rome for the past week for ceremonies and meetings related to the celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Pontifical North American College, where I was both a student and Rector. The news of the horrific earthquake in Haiti has shocked and saddened everyone. The Holy Father today offered the following words this morning during his weekly audience.

“My thoughts go in particular to the population hit just a few hours ago by a devastating earthquake which has caused serious loss of human life, large numbers of homeless and missing people, and vast material damage.